


The Joys of Parenthood

by xshinanix



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: F/M, Implied Sexual Content, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, Miscarriage, Morning Sickness, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2020-07-23 08:51:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20005600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xshinanix/pseuds/xshinanix
Summary: The room was silent, save for their labored pants and the sound of crickets outside their window. So silent that she could hear his heartbeat loud and clear, a dominant sound among an otherwise quiet environment. They hadn’t said anything to each other. They didn’t need to. They already knew what the other was thinking. Mostly at least.“Trunks?”“Yeah?”“I think…” She paused and took a deep breath. “I think I want a baby.”~~~There are many ups and downs to being a parent. How will Trunks and Mai react to these challenges? Starting with trying to have a baby all together.





	1. Anniversary

“Are you ready, Mai!” Trunks called from the living room of their home, fixing his hair in a nearby mirror. Today was their first anniversary, and he had planned a few, small activities to celebrate. With his job working for the family company, he wasn’t able to book a weekend getaway that he had planned, but he hoped that his new plans would be enough to satisfy her.

“I dunno. Are you ready, Mister Fixing-My-Hair?” Mai spoke from the hallway before coming into his view. Even with attire as simple as a green sundress, she still managed to knock the wind out of him. He even felt underdressed in a button-up next to her. “Where are we even going?”

Trunks chuckled and smirked. “That’s a surprise for now.” He held out his hand to her. “May I, madam?”

Mai pursed her lips in annoyance, but complied with him, placing her hand on top of his. He pressed a kiss to the top of her hand and smiled. “Trust me. You’ll love it.”

* * *

All she knew was that they were in a park. She could tell that much from the sounds of children playing and dogs barking. Before they had arrived, he had blindfolded her, claiming that it would be worth it once they got there. She hoped he was right.

“Wait here.” He said and let go of her hands, leaving her standing completely blind. She could hear him walk away and something move, but she couldn’t quite figure out what it was. “Alright. You can take your blindfold off now.”

Relief washed over her at his words. She reached behind her head and undid the knot, pulling it from her face. Her mouth went agape as she saw the picnic spread in front of her, red rose petals set out in front to spell out “Happy Anniversary”.

“What do you think?” Trunks said as he walked to her side, placing his hands on her shoulders. “Do you like it?”

Mai cupped a hand over her mouth, happy tears threatening to pool out. “Trunks, I love it. This is so sweet…”

“Oh, thank God. I didn’t think you liked it at first, and I was gonna be kinda bummed out.” He kissed the top of her head. “I made everything myself early this morning, so I’m sorry if it tastes like garbage, but I tried.”

“I’m sure it tastes just fine.” She said and turned to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “How did I ever manage to meet someone like you?”

“Well, if I remember correctly, you tried to steal from us and then we pretended you were my girlfriend. Or something like that.”

Mai laughed and rolled her eyes. “I know how, silly.” She leaned up and gave him a quick kiss. “Let’s eat. I’m starving.”

“I made your favorites. Or at least tried to.” He said and took a seat underneath the oak tree, holding out a hand to help her down. “There was one thing I didn’t make, however.”

“Oh?” She said and sat down next to him, brushing out the wrinkles in her dress. “Which is?”

“I asked Marron to make your favorite dessert. I didn’t want to mess it up.”

Mai gasped. “You got her to make strawberry cake!” She exclaimed and was nearly jumped up and down from excitement.

“Of course. You always say she makes the best, and I wasn’t going to be the one to ruin your favorite.” He smiled at her. “But you have to at least try my food before going to the good stuff.”

“I’m not some sort of animal, Trunks.” Mai rolled her eyes and watched as he loaded up her plate with food.

Her attention went elsewhere, however, when she saw a couple pushing a stroller on the path out of the corner of her eyes. She couldn't help but imagine what the child inside could look like with rosy cheeks and cute, little clothes.

“Mai? You okay?” Trunks asked, causing her to break her attention.

“Sorry. Got distracted.” She said with a faint grin, nodding in thanks as she took her plate. Her eyes darted back to the path in hopes of seeing the family again, but her heart sank as she realized they had disappeared beyond the trees.

* * *

Mai stood by the soda dispenser as Trunks was talking to the manager, sipping on her red Icee. On the way here, he wouldn’t tell her what movie they were watching or even what kind of movie it was. This coupled with the picnic were almost too many surprises for her in one day.

She at first was watching her husband, trying to figure out what they would be talking about. But Trunks was smart enough to face away from her, making her unable to read the two men's’ lips to determine what was going on. Her attention switched, however, when she heard a child squeak from excitement.

“Mama! Mama! Can I get this one?” The little boy exclaimed as he violently tapped onto the glass, not even taking a moment to glance up at his mother. “Pretty please!”

“I don’t know, honey. That’s a lot of sugar.” 

“Oh, come on, Claire. It’s a special occasion. Not every day you can see Finding Namo in theatres.” The other mother spoke as she took out her card from her wallet, gladly handing it over to the cashier.

“Alright, alright. But just one.”

“Yes! Thanks, Mama!”

Mai couldn’t help by smile at the family. The two women looked perfectly happy and proud of their son, making her heart leap with happiness for them. She didn’t even realize Trunks was standing in front of her until he cleared his throat, making her jump. “Dear God, Trunks! Don’t scare me like that!”

“Eh, sorry…” Trunks grinned nervously and rubbed the back of his neck.

“What were you talking to him about?” Mai asked as Trunks wrapped an arm around her, leading her back into the theaters.

“Do you remember the first movie we saw together?”

“Um, vaguely? It was the really bad one with the vampire who fell in love with a human, wasn’t it?” Mai hummed and smiled at the memory. “We kept making fun of it and almost got kicked out for laughing. But what does this have to do with anything?”

“Well, turns out when your family is very well known and you have more money than you could ever need, you can convince anyone to do anything.” He held open the door to the fourth theatre, gesturing inside. “Ladies first.”

“What a gentleman.” Mai gladly walked in. “What seats are we?”

“Wherever.” He said and wrapped his arms around her waist with a hum. “We have the theatre to ourselves.”

“Excuse me?”

“I rented the theatre for just the two of us.” He chuckled. “And they’re gonna play that awful movie.” He released her and took her hand, walking to pick their seats. “We can laugh and talk as loud as we want. No one’s gonna kick us out.”

“You’re kidding.” Mai shook her head. “Trunks, this is too much.”

“Nothing’s too much for you.” He said and sat down, patting the seat next to him. “Come on now. The movie’s gonna start soon.”

* * *

The room was silent, save for their labored pants and the sounds of crickets outside their window. So silent that she could hear his heartbeat loud and clear, a dominant sound in such a quiet environment. She lay on top of him, still completely out of breath. They hadn’t said anything to each other. They didn’t need to. They already knew what the other was thinking. Mostly at least.

“Trunks?” She broke their silence first, breathing out his name in a light and airy tone.

“Yeah?”

“I think…” She paused and took a deep breath. “I think I want a baby.” She felt him freeze up.

“A...baby?” He inquired, tilting his head to look down at her. “Why…?”

Mai hummed and sat up, her hands resting on his naked abdomen as she straddled his hips. “I don’t know. Ever since we got married I’ve noticed all the cute couples with their kids.” She grinned and looked down. “Like how at the movies there was that couple with the cutest little boy. Or how a couple was pushing the cutest stroller in the park. They looked so happy.”

“Are you not happy?” Trunks asked and sat up immediately, propping himself on his elbows. 

“No, no! That’s not it, Trunks!” She looked at him, her brow furrowed. “I’m extremely happy. Like the happiest I’ve ever been in my life.”

“Okay. Then why do you want a baby?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s just my brain telling me that we need one to be a ‘real’ marriage. Even though I think that’s beyond stupid.” Mai took a breath and shook her head. “But I want to expand our little family.”

“We can get a puppy or something first. I’ve heard they’re trial babies.”

“No, Trunks. I want something that’s going to live longer than a dog. I want something...that’s part of both of us.” Mai said and looked away, crossing her arms with a sigh. “Just forget it. It’s probably just a passing though anyways.”

“No, wait, Mai.” He reached forward and grabbed a hold of her chin, guiding her to look at him. “Is a baby something you really, really want?”

“...Yes.”

“Then let’s have a baby.” Trunks said, a smile spreading over his face.

“But you sound like you don’t want one. I don’t want to force you into having a child with me, Trunks.” She frowned. “I want you to want it as much as I do.”

“Mai, I do want it. I want what you want. I’m just a little nervous is all.” He smiled weakly. “I just want to make sure it’s what you want.”

“It is what I want.” She laid back down next to him. “If you’re okay with it then I’ll call the doctor tomorrow to see when I can get my IUD removed.”

Trunks hummed and laid back, pulling her close to him. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

Mai smiled and pressed her face against his chest. “Let’s have a baby…”


	2. Morning Sickness

The chirping birds outside were the first things to welcome her a good morning. Her pale fingers reached out to feel for him, but where meet with only the cold sheets in his space. She opened her eyes and saw his spot unusually empty, sitting up with a stretch and a yawn. Looking back over to his side of the bed, she saw a note on his end table, reaching over to grab it.

_Good morning. Working early this morning. Forgot to tell you. Be home same time as usual. Love you._ \- Trunks

Mai sighed and sat the note back down, rubbing at her eyes with another small yawn. She debated going back to sleep, the bed calling to her to close her eyes once more. But she had scheduled a day with Marron today. It wouldn’t be fair to cancel just because she was a little tired.

She slouched her way to their bathroom, smacking her lips together as she stood in front of the mirror to get ready. As she was brushing her teeth, however, a wave of nausea washed over her. She leaned forward and gripped the counter, taking deep breaths to settle her stomach. When it passed, she shrugged it off, blaming her empty stomach. When she was successfully dressed and as ready as she needed to be, she left for the kitchen.

Mai opened up nearly every cabinet they owned scouring for food. It wasn’t that they didn’t have any. It was that none of it was really what she wanted exactly. Which was saying quite a lot since she barely even knew what she wanted. She settled on turkey bacon and eggs, for the time being, not wanting to eat too heavy since she figured they’d be going to lunch.

While cooking, however, there was another wave of nausea that caused her to stop. She swallowed hard and tried to push past it, plating her food before going to eat in the living room.

Eating did seem to calm her stomach now. She let out a sigh of relief as she washed up her plate, drying it before putting it back where it belonged. She looked at the time and realized that it wouldn’t be another hour and a half that Marron would show up. She instantly thought of taking a nap.

Laying in bed, it was hard for her to get comfortable. She tossed and turned for more than twenty minutes before she found a suitable position. Finally comfortable, she closed her eyes and tried to sleep.

Before she knew it, however, she was dashing for the bathroom, hand over her mouth just until she reached the toilet. She instantly threw up her breakfast and then heaved some more until her throat was sore.

Shakingly filling the glass by the sink with water, she took a few drinks before heading back into their bedroom. She grabbed her phone to text Marron.

_ Hey! I woke up kind of sick this morning, so I’m not sure if I can really do anything today. Can we reschedule for like tomorrow? _

She pressed sent and quickly changed into a pair of shorts and a tank top, crawling back underneath to blankets to relax. After a few seconds, her phone lit up and vibrated.

_ Aw, I’m sorry to hear that! Are you home alone? I can bring some medicine and soup and just be with you until Trunks gets home so you’re not lonely if you want. _

Mai couldn’t help but smile at the sweet message.

_ Sounds good to me. _

* * *

Mai was half-sitting, half-laying on their couch, a blanket wrapped over her legs to keep her warm. Marron had convinced her to come out from hiding, saying that they could watch whatever she wanted without any protests from the blonde. Which was enough to get Mai to do anything.

“Here ya go.” Marron chimed as she carefully passed over a bowl of hot soup to Mai. “Be careful! Don’t burn yourself!” 

“Thanks, May.” Mai hummed and cradled the bowl close to her, enjoying the warmth it radiated. “You can go home if you want. I’m feeling much better now.”

“Really? You threw up again just half an hour ago.” Marron furrowed her brow and sat down on the opposite end of her friend, pulling her knees up to her chest as she tried to ignore the horror show Mai had chosen. “This really isn’t much of a bother.”

“I’m being serious. I’m completely okay now.” Mai blew on a spoonful of soup. “I mean besides the fact that I’m hungry but other than that I’m completely fine!”

“Huh…” She shrugged a shoulder and finally glanced at the tv, flinching at the grotesque images on the screen. “That’s weird. Isn’t that, like, something that only happens when you’re pregnant?”

“...I mean, it happens when you’re pregnant, but I don’t think random nausea is just associated with it.” Mai furrowed her brows. “Besides, it’s the first time it’s happened.”

“Yeah, and it’s not like you can get pregnant.”

“Right.” Mai drew out the vowel and looked away, taking another spoonful of soup.

Marron raised a brow and turned her body to sit criss cross on the couch. “Oh? Is there something you’re not telling me, Mai?”

Mai groaned as she looked away from Marron, her cheeks becoming slightly red. “Well, me and Trunks are actually trying to...have a...baby.” Her voice lowered in volume as she spoke, but she still earned an excited squeal from the blonde.

“Mai! That’s super exciting!” Marron scooted closer to her friend and grabbed ahold of her hands, a twinkle in her dark eyes. “Are you? Do you know? How far along are you?”

Mai blinked and shifted her eyes from their hands back to the woman’s face, an awkward grin creeping on her face. “I don’t know, Marron. We’ve only been trying for a month. It takes longer than that.”

Marron stood up and pointed at her friend. “Not necessarily. You could be pregnant at this very moment and not know it.” She smiled. “Do you have tests here? Or should I go get one? Or should I ask Goten to pick up one?”

“Marron.”

“You’re right. It’s weird if me or Goten get one. What if his mom sees? What if my mom sees? She’d probably kill him. Or me. Or both.” She brought a hand to her chin, looking towards the ground in thought. “Is there a delivery service for pregnancy tests? Or is that too weird?”

“Marron!”

Marron snapped out of her daze and looked at Mai, a flustered grin on her face. “Oops. I got lost in a train of thought. Sorry.”

“You’re fine, Marron.” Mai sat up and stretched with a groan. “Trunks picked up some a few weeks back.”

“You have to go take one then!” Marron exclaimed, giddy with excitement. “Or should you wait for Trunks to be home? Trunks should know before I do. That’s only fair, isn’t it?”

Mai chuckled. “It’ll be our little secret if it’s true. You’ll just have to act surprised when we tell you.”

Marron zipped up her lips and tossed away the imaginary key, holding a finger to her mouth to swear secrecy.

* * *

It was well after dark by the time he got home. It felt like all the odds were against him at work. Problems kept arising that caused him to stay later and later. He felt guilty. He had told her the usual time. And then he’d be an hour late. And then another hour. And another…

Was she waiting for him? He had told her not to. Told her to go to bed when she felt tired. She didn’t need to stay up for him, but knowing her, she probably was. 

He sighed at the thought as he unlocked their front door, stepping inside and taking his shoes off. From the living room, he heard the faint mumbles of a late-night tv show--something he knew his wife wouldn’t actively watch.

Quietly, he walked into the living room. The only light came from the tv, the moving images shifting shadows. As he approached the couch, he saw Mai peacefully asleep.

She was always ethereal to him. Especially now despite the drool that went down her chin and the soft snores that came from her. Her features smoothed out with pure relaxation. It was an image he had often woken up to and stared at before getting up for work. An image he didn’t take for granted.

Trunks hummed in satisfaction and grabbed the remote, turning off the television. He carefully scooped her up into his arms, carrying her bridal style to their room to lay her down. She stirred when he moved, and he hushed her, quietly telling her to go back to sleep.

Once he had her settled, he went through his own nightly routine, making sure to be as quiet as a mouse to not wake his sleeping beauty. He slipped in beside her when he finished, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close.

“Trunks?” Mai spoke sleepily and scooted closer to him, her hands gripping onto the front of his nightshirt.

“It’s late, Mai. Go on back to sleep.” He cooed to her and held her close, pressing his face into her hair.

“I have something to tell you.” She mumbled, opening her eyes enough to look up at him with a sheepish grin. “I’m pregnant.”


	3. Not So Secret Keeper

She could hardly get out of bed. It had taken her several attempts to will her body to simply sit up without the rush of sickness going over her. Even then, Trunks had practically carried her out to the living room. She hadn’t moved from the couch since she had been placed, not wanting to upset her already agitated body anymore.

Though she had been confined to their couch, she couldn’t say the day had been completely awful. Once Trunks had realized how ill Mai was, he had instantly called off work, using some bullshit but believable excuse to get around their secret. His presence was soothing. The sounds of him moving around in the kitchen or doing the dishes or switching laundry let her know that she wasn’t alone. 

“Trunks honey?” Mai called from her spot on the couch, pulling up the soft, freshly dried blanket to her face. She waited for a few seconds, but the clanking of the dishes didn’t stop. She frowned and called again a little louder this time.

When he still didn’t hear her, she sighed and slipped the blanket off, slowly willing herself to sit up. She leaned forward with her hands on her knees, taking a few deep breaths to calm her stomach down. 

Just as she was about to stand up, Trunks walked into the living room, drying his hands off with a cloth. “Yeah?”

Mai looked up at him and furrowed her brows, slightly annoyed that it had taken me so long to answer her. Or that he didn’t even respond back when she had called for him. She took a breath and forced a smile, relaxing back down into her spot. “Can you run a bath for me?”

Trunks smiled back at her, perhaps a little sheepish. “Of course, dear.” He leaned down to press a kiss on the top of her head, throwing the cloth over his shoulder.

“Thanks.” Mai answered as he walked away, placing her hands against her stomach. 

She caught herself doing it quite often after finding out. She had felt stupid at first, wondering why her instinct was to cradle her rather small belly. So, she had refused, trying to find something to do with her hands other than that. After her first appointment, however, she had caved. Maybe it had finally hit her that it was real at that point. Or maybe she was tired of fighting it. Whatever the reason, she was unsure.

Thinking back on it, it came as a shock to her to learn that her first appointment had been two weeks ago. She could remember distinctly the nerves that came with laying upright on the bed and waiting for the doctor. She had hoped to hear a heartbeat or to see them, but the doctor had told her that it was unlikely until the second trimester.

As hard as it was to wait to see, it wasn’t as difficult as keeping it a secret. The two of them had agreed that they’d wait until it was safe to tell. Not that they thought anything would happen, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

A chill ran down her spine. She prayed they wouldn’t have to be sorry.

Just before her mind could wander anymore, Trunks came back into the room, the cloth still hanging out on his shoulder. He held out his hands to her, grinning. “Need a hand?”

Mai smiled and took ahold of both his hands, being pulled to a standing position. She was wobbly at first, leaning against him as her stomach did flips and spins in her abdomen. She hummed to distract herself, giving him a nod.

* * *

Marron tapped her fingers against the table in the coffee shop, watching Goten as he stood in line to order their drinks. It was a beautiful day out, just the perfect balance between hot and cold. So, the two of them had decided on a whim to go out on an impromptu date.

As much as she loved and adored him, it was hard for her to be around him. She felt like she was going to burst from the pressure. She wasn’t one blabber secrets, but she always had a tendency to share the excitement with Mai or Goten. Considering this ‘secret’ involved Mai, that left only Goten.

But she knew it wasn’t right. The only reason why Marron knew it the first place was because she was there when Mai found out. She would be in the dark just like him if she hadn’t been there. Maybe it was better to be in the dark. Better not to know than to worry if she was going to let it slip.

“One salted caramel hot chocolate for you.” Goten spoke as he sat her mug down in front of her, causing her to jump. “Are you okay? I didn’t mean to startle you!”

“Ah, I’m fine!” Marron blurted out, holding up her hands in defense. “I was just...zoning out.” She sighed and reached for mug, wrapping her hands around the warmth with a hum.

“I saw this cat cake pops while I was up there and grabbed us a couple, too.” Goten smiled and sat down across from her, pulling one of the pops out of the bag and holding it out to her.

She reached out and took it, nodding a ‘thank you’. They sat in silence together as they both munched and sipped on their refreshments; Marron avoiding his gaze almost entirely.

“Are you...sure you’re okay?” Goten asked and tilted his head, a brow raised. “You’ve been a little weird the past few weeks.”

“Have I? I haven’t noticed.” Marron said and looked up at him, giving a weary grin.

“You know you can tell me anything, right?”

Marron took a breath and held it. That was the problem. She  _ could _ tell him everything. Everything about her wasn’t a secret to him. He knew things about her that her parents didn’t even know about. But this wasn’t hers to tell him.

“I can’t say anything.” She finally spoke, cursing herself.

“What? What do you mean?” He slid his hand across the table, brows furrowed. 

She felt like panicking. She had said too much. She needed a way out. “What I meant is...I can’t tell you anything...because you have to guess?” 

“You want me to guess what it is?”

“Mhm!” Marron clasped her hands around his.  _ If he guesses then I technically wouldn’t have told him… _

“Alright. I’m game.” Goten looked up in thought, humming. “Can I get a hint?”

“Um...it involves...tiny clothes.” Marron held her hand up, making a small gesture with her fingers and peering at him through the hole.

“Tiny clothes?” Goten raised a brow, leaning back and crossing his arms. “Um, does it involve a puppy and or kitten? Are you somehow hiding one in the apartment from me?”

“No, no, no! Not animal clothes.” Marron shook her head. “Human clothes.”

“Tiny, human clothes…” As Goten spoke, something clicked inside his head. “Marron, tell me you’re not.”

“Not what?” Marron furrowed her brows.

“Mom barely approves of me living with you without marriage. She would literally  _ murder _ me if you were pregnant.”

“Whoa! I’m not pregnant.” Marron felt her face heat up, burying her face into her hands. “I’m not at least.”

“Is this like some weird power trip? Did someone tell you I fathered the kid they’re pregnant with because that’s a damn lie. I’ve never hooked up with anyone since I got you with years ago.”

“No, it’s not that either!” Marron looked up at him and sighed, folding her arms on top of the table and resting her head down. “It’s someone we know.”

Goten smirked. “Well, the only people we know our age are Trunks and Mai, and Trunks would have told me if something like that happened.” As Marron grinned at his response, Goten perked up. “What?”

“Yep. I’m not supposed to tell anyone, but you guessed so.”

“How long have you knew?!”

“Three weeks now I think.” She sat up straight.

“You kept a secret for three weeks?” Goten chuckled and reached forward, placing a hand on her arm.

“I’m honestly a little surprised. I wanted to tell you right away, but I couldn’t.” Marron’s smile disappeared. “You can’t tell anyone. Not your parents or mine or Gohan or anyone. Do you hear me?”

“Yes, ma’am!”


	4. Tragedy

She had gone to bed the night before more exhausted than she had ever been in her entire life. She blamed the pregnancy for it. Just like how she blamed it for every bad thing her body felt.

And now she blamed the pregnancy on intense nausea that had woken her up. Her stomach cramped up to the point where she could hardly move, the feeling of sickness waving over her. She shook her head and reach her hand out until she found Trunks’ back, scooting closer to him. Trunks groaned in his sleep and turned over, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. 

She opened her eyes and looked up at the man’s sleeping face, a soft smile on her features. She reached up and patted his cheek, running her thumb against his jawline. She pressed her face against his chest, her hand sliding down to grip his shirt. She squeezed her eyes shut, letting a wave of nausea pass over her as she went back to sleep.

* * *

Mai woke up with a gasp. Her insides felt like they were all in knots, twisting and turning in on themselves. Her legs instinctively curled up, her eyes opening enough to see that Trunks was gone. She gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut, telling herself that it’s just bad nausea and that it’ll go away.

It didn’t go away.

After wallowing in pain for what seemed like hours, she finally rolled over and reached for her phone on the nightstand. She opened her eyes just enough to barely look at her screen, quickly going to Trunks’ contact and calling his work phone.

She closed her eyes when she heard the ringing, taking slow, deep breaths to calm herself. “Pick up, pick up, pick up…”

After a few rings, there was an answer.

“Hello. This is Mr. Briefs office. He’s in a meeting right now, so can I take a message?” His assistant’s voice spoke, her tone sounding too formal.

“Coco? Can you please get Trunks for me.” She struggled to speak, curling in as there was a wave of pain. “I need to talk to him. It’s sort of an emergency.”

“Oh! Mrs. Briefs!” Coco’s formality dropped. “Of course! I’ll get him right away. Just hold on.”

The sound of soothing music came over the speaker as Mai was put on hold. She groaned and struggled to sit up, sliding her legs off of the bed. Before she could herself to stand up, she felt something strange.

As the panic began to set in, Trunks answered. “Mai? What’s going on?”

“We need to go to the hospital.”

“Wha-? Um, isn’t a little too soon-”

“Trunks. Listen to me.” She tried to sound calm, hearing the panic in voice. “There’s something wrong. I need to go to a hospital.” Her voice shook. 

“Are you sure? It’s not just some symptoms?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” She all but hissed out, rubbing her temple. “This just...feels different. It feels like I’m having cramps, and my underwear feels suspiciously damp, okay?” She took a breath. “It might be nothing. But I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

“Of course.” She heard him sigh. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

* * *

It was a rather busy day in the lab for Bulma. Her husband had gone and broken almost every machine she had made for him. Several regular machines in the lab were down and needed maintenance as well. Not to mention, her daughter had asked for some modifications to her own devices.

She had been in the lab all day, her hands greasy from the work she had been doing. Her hair which was usually neat and clean was messy and all over the place. She had caught a glimpse of herself in the reflection of some metal and had seen that there was a streak of oil on her cheek. Wiping it away had only caused the streak to spread.

Bulma was currently on her back working on the underbelly of one of the lab machines, the cranking of the wrench in hand blocking out the music she usually had playing in the lab. She had been working on the same machine for several hours now, getting frustrated when she couldn’t seem to fix the problem. 

She hissed to herself and crawled out from underneath the machine, wiping her hands clean of grease as she tried to formulate another plan of action. While standing in thought, her earpiece began to ring. She opened her mouth to dismiss the call, having requested silence for the day. But when she heard the robotic say the name of her son, she instantly accepted.

“Hello?” She asked, leaning against one of the tables filled with tools.

“Hi, Mom…”

She furrowed her brows at the sound of his voice. There was something heavy within his tone. “What’s up?”

“I don’t know what to do. There’s something wrong, but they won’t tell us what.”

“Something wrong? With the company?” She raised a brow and took a seat in one of the hard chairs, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees. “I can maybe swing by Corporate later but-”

“No. It’s not with the company.” There was hesitation in his voice. “There’s something wrong...with Mai.”

Bulma perked up instantly. “What? Is she sick?”

“Well, no, but also I guess yes? We’re at the hospital right now.”

“The hospital?!” She stood up quickly. “Why didn’t you open with that?”

“I don’t think she wants anyone to know really.”

“Why the hell not?”

“...” He fell silent for a moment. “She’s...pregnant. We went to the hospital because she was having really bad stomach pains.” A shaky breath. “They think there’s something wrong with the baby.”

Bulma felt her heart drop, the anger she initially felt going away. “Which hospital?”

“Wha-”

“Which hospital are you at?”

“Um, Eastside Medical.”

“I’m on my way.”


	5. Stressed

“How are you holding up, buddy?” Goten spoke from the other side of his office. He had taken his lunch break from the family restaurant to visit Trunks in his office at the corporate building for Capsule Corp. He had started doing this a few weeks ago after the incident with the hospital. 

At first, Trunks protested. He didn’t need someone to babysit him. He was just fine going back to his regular routine. But after the first few visits, he grew to enjoy the company of his best friend. He had a lot on his mind whether it be related to the company or the new strain on his marriage. Like always, Goten was someone he could lean on and confide his problems to without feeling guilty.

“Just peachy.” Trunks responded, pushing up his glasses as he read through some emails. “Same old, same old.”

“No new stress in your life?”

“Unless you count these little visits from you as stress.” He began answering an email, glancing up to see the other man lounging around on the couch in his office. He rolled his eyes. “You could at least take your shoes off. Clients do sit on that, and I’d rather not have it cleaned every day because of you.”

“Geesh. Go easy on me, tiger.” Goten sat up, placing his feet on the floor. “How about I clean it for you this time?”

“Works for me. You bring dirty dish residue from the restaurant and that shit smells.”

“Well, I’m sorry that my mommy didn’t hand me a business on a silver platter and make me a CEO straight out of college.”

“First of all, you didn’t even go to college.” Trunks took off his glasses and leaned back in his chair, smirking. “And second I wasn’t handed this place. I had to prove I could handle the responsibility first.”

Goten rolled his eyes and held his hands up in surrender. “Alright. You got me.”

Trunks huffed and sat up straight, going through some papers on his desk. “How’s Marron?”

“She’s...restless I think.” 

There was a hint of emotion in his tone, but Trunks couldn’t tell what emotion. “Oh?”

“I think 18’s been hounding her again for being with me is all. And with what happened with Mai on her mind, I can’t really blame her for being a little frantic.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, kicking off his shoes to lounge back. 

Trunks looked up at him, setting down the paper about some deal he was skimming through. “Why would 18 do that?”

“It’s 18. She would do anything for Marron.” He grinned softly, placing her forearm against his forehead as he tilted his head back. “Marron’s been stressing about money recently. Business at the restaurant’s been a little slow recently. Tips aren’t coming in like they used to. She’s been picking up more and more shifts to cover for it.”

“Is that why you suddenly have so much time to annoy me?” He smiled at his friend, but it quickly faded when he saw the look on his face. “Goten, listen. If you need money, I can handle it. I have more than I know what to do with. And Mai won’t care. You’re her friends, too.”

“I don’t want to be a charity.” Goten sat up, placing his hands in his lap. “She didn’t start worrying about money until 18 started bothering her about me. It’s probably related somehow.”

“Well, 18 does enjoy some dough.” Trunks crossed his arms and cleared his throat. “Have you talked to Marron about this? Maybe she can give you some insight on why she’s feeling like this.”

“We’ve not seen a whole lot of each other since the hospital. We’re either both working or she’s with Mai comforting her.” He frowned. “When we are together, she’s stressing over the bills.”

“Did you tell Chi-Chi about your money problems? Or Gohan? I’m sure either of them will be willing to help.” Trunks clicked his tongue, looking up in thought. “If you don’t want handouts, then maybe you can pick up shifts or work with your dad on the farm. Or maybe work as an assistant for Gohan for a little while. I’m sure they could use the help.”

“I don’t want to go crawling back to them. It took me this long to get out by myself.” Goten looked away. “Gohan was already married with a kid and a nice job at my age. I don’t want to be the kid who can’t be on his own, ya know?”

“God, Goten, I thought I was the one with all the pride.” Trunks rolled his eyes with a chuckle. “But I get it.” He opened his desk draw and pulled out his checkbook. “Please just take this. It’s a mere fraction of what I initially wanted to give you, so you don’t have to feel bad about it.” He tore off the check and handed it to him.

Goten glanced at the clock on Trunks’ wall and stood up, stretching upwards. “Fine. I’m only doing this because I have to leave soon, and I know you’ll lock the building down until I take something from you.” He walked over and took the check from his hands, glancing over the amount with wide eyes. “I can’t-”

“Eh, don’t say anything or I’ll forcibly transfer money into your account.” Trunks pointed a finger at him, smirking. “Earlier Christmas present.”

Goten sighed and put the check in his pocket with a smile. “Thanks, Trunks. I’ll pay you back someday I promise.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s a gift.” Trunks sat back up straight, putting his glasses back on. “Now get out of my office. I have very important work to do.” 

Goten rolled his eyes. “Fine. Whatever.” He started to leave, but stopped before he turned the knob of his office door. “Oh. Trunks?”

“Yes, Goten?”

“How is she? Is she okay?”

Trunks stopped dead, his heart twisting at the inevitable question. He took a breath and released it slowly, looking up at his friend with a sad smile. “She’s getting better. She’ll bounce back soon. I can feel it.”

“Are you going to try again?” He raised a brow.

“Goodbye, Goten.”

* * *

The sunshine on her skin always made her look radiant. The golden glimmer of her hair in the rays was more divine than anything he had ever seen in his life. And he had witnessed true divinity before.

It was a beautiful day outside. The sun was shining for the first time in a long time, and the two of them didn’t have work that day. It was a rare occasion that they both soaked up like a sponge. They didn’t know when they’d get an opportunity like this again. 

“She looked pitiful today.” Her voice broke him from his trance, making him blink as his consciousness came back.

“She did?” Goten frowned and rubbed the back of his neck. “Trunks said she was getting better.”

“Not that I’ve really seen. She’s better than when it first happened, but she’s definitely not improving.” Marron frowned and sighed, reaching down to take Goten’s hand as they walked through the park. “I’ve been trying to tell her it's not her fault, but she’s shutting me out. I feel helpless watching her like this.”

“There’s nothing we can really do for them at this point.” He gave her hand a squeeze. “You did your best, and I’m sure she appreciates the sentiment. Somethings you can’t fix.”

“Gah! I know, but it’s driving me insane to not be able to help!” She pouted and gestured with her freehand to a bench. They sat down together. Marron crossed her legs and adjusted the skirt of her dress over her lap. “It’s like watching a disaster on TV.”

Goten shifted uncomfortably and took a breath. “Can I tell you something? You have to promise you can’t be mad at me.”

“Huh? What is it?”

He gritted his teeth. “Promise you won’t get mad?”

“Do I ever get mad?” Marron grinned and playfully slapped his shoulder. “Tell me!”

“Okay, well…” He took a breath and held it. “You can’t get mad.”

“Spit it out, Goten!”

“I think you shouldn’t be going over there as often anymore. Not until she feels better.”

Marron blinked and furrowed her brows. “Why? I’d want her to be around if it were me.”

“That’s the thing, Marron. She’s not you. Can you ever recall a time when Mai showed much emotion in public?”

“It’s different. I’m her friend. We talk about everything.” Marron let go of her boyfriend’s hand, crossing her arms. “I’m not abandoning her.”

“You said you wouldn’t get mad!”

“I made no such promise. I just said that I don’t get mad, and I’m not. I’m just upset.”

“That means you’re mad.” Goten pouted and sighed, leaning back against the bench. “I’m not saying you need to ‘abandon’ her. Just give her some space. You’ve gone over there once or twice a day since she was released. She needs time to breathe and heal on her own.”

“Did Trunks tell you to say this?” 

“No, Mar. He didn’t.” He reached out for her hands, but she pulled them away. “I don’t know what’s been going on with you recently, but it started after Mai was in the hospital. I know you’ve been talking to your mom more recently, and I don’t care what it’s been about, but I’m worried about you. You’ve been more stressed lately.”

Marron looked down and away from him. “It’s nothing really. She’s just...nagging me.”

“Is it about money again? You’ve been worried about that a lot more recently.”

“No. It’s not about money.” She looked back at him, a faint blush on her cheeks. “Not exactly.”

“What do you mean?”

“She's talking more about how I’m--well,  _ we’re _ \--going to afford the grand wedding she wants for me.” Marron buried her face in her hands. “I didn’t know how to tell you what she was saying! I’m so embarrassed!”

Goten let out a laugh of relief. “So she doesn’t still hate me?”

“I don’t know about that, but she’s definitely accepted the fact that I want to be with you. I think…” She looked up, her face pink. “When she told me that, I couldn’t get the idea of disappointing her out of my head. I don’t care about money at all. I just want to be happy.”

“We’re not even engaged...Why is she worried about how big our hypothetical wedding will be?”

“I don’t know, but it's embarrassing to think about.” She sighed. “I don't want a big wedding. I’d be happy with just us and our family and friends.”

“Then that’s what we’ll have.” Goten blurted out, being taken back by how quickly the words escaped his lips. “If you’d even want to marry me…”

“Are you crazy?” She grinned. “Of course, I would!” She looked down. “Are you...proposing to me right now?”

“Well, I think technically, but I definitely wouldn’t go off telling your mother that.” Goten shook his head, taking one of her hands. “She would kill me if I didn’t give you the entire fantasy, so I think you’d have to wait for a formal proposal, ma’am.” He stood, nodding his head up the path. “Now, do you want to go feed the ducks still?”

Marron smiled and stood up, taking a step forward and placing her other hand on his shoulder. “I don’t see why not.” She leaned up to give him a soft kiss.

* * *

He had been kept late at the office. With a big expo coming up for the company, he spent several late nights a week in his office. He’d even fallen asleep a time or two. And he felt awful every time he had to stay.

She was grieving. Grieving over their collective loss. He had his mother and Marron check up on her on his late nights. And they both said the same thing.

She wasn’t herself.

Knowing she wouldn’t have the strength to cook dinner, he ordered carryout from her favorite restaurant. He even paid the extra cost to get her meal just how she liked it, something she would only allow him to spoil her with on special occasions. To him, every moment with her was a special occasion.

He locked his car and walked to their front door, bag in hand and phone tucked between his ear and his shoulder. “I don’t have the time to run by the office again tonight. Just leave the papers on my desk, and I’ll get to them on Monday.” He shuffled with his keys in his freehand, struggling to get the right one. “I’ll see you then. Bye.”

When he found the key, he shoved his phone back into his pocket and reached forward to unlock the door, pausing as he stared at the door.

Where would she be in the house? Would she already be in bed? Or would she be in the living room like she had been before he left this morning? What would she be feeling? Would the heartache be gone? He hoped it was.

Shaking his head, he unlocked the door and stepped inside, taking his shoes off by the door. “Mai! I’m home!” He called and walked from their entrance to their kitchen, setting the bag of food on the counter. “I brought home your favorite for dinner! It’s still warm!” 

He got two plates from the cabinet and shoveled their meals onto them, grabbing a silverware as he made his way from the kitchen to the living room. “There you are!”

She looked up at him when she heard his voice, the corners of her mouth pulling up for a sad smile. “Welcome home.” 

“Good to be here.” He said and sat down next to her on the couch, setting her food down on the coffee table in front of her. “Sorry I’m home so late. I tried to call you, but you didn’t answer.”

“Oh, sorry. My phone’s in the bedroom.”

“That’s okay. I’m not complaining.” He flashed her a smile, reaching for the remote to turn on the TV. “You been sitting in silence the whole time?”

“No. Your mother came over earlier, and she talked my ears off. I just needed a break from noise for a while.” Mai answered, twirling a piece of her hair in her fingers. “But you can watch something if you want.”

“Right…” He murmured and turned on the TV, flipping it to one of the channels that had her favorite show on. “Your dinner’s getting cold. Do you want me to go heat it up for you real quick?”

“No, it’s fine.” Mai glanced at the plate, her nose wrinkling. “You can put it away though. I’m not that hungry right now.”

Trunks frowned and sighed, turning off the TV. “Mai, can we talk?”

“I thought we were.”

“You know what I mean.”

Mai perked up and looked up at him, staring into his eyes. She looked like she was searching them for something. Before he could figure it out, she took a breath and looked away. “I suppose.”

“I’m worried about you, honey.” He set his food on the coffee table, taking her hands in his own and turning his body towards her. “You’ve been...distant ever since...it happened.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be.” She stared at their hands.

“Can you look at me?” She looked up at him when he spoke, scanning over his face. “Really look at me.”

She huffed and made eye contact, not daring to look away. He felt his heart break at the dull look in her dark eyes.

“I know this is a lot for you to handle. I get that. It’s hard for me, too. But...it happened, and we can’t-”

“Say it.”

He was taken aback. “...What?”

“Say what happened.” There was an anger in her voice. “Say what happened. I’m tired of people beating around the bush about it.”

Trunks stared at her, seeing the stern look on her face. There was no way he could get out of this one. “You miscarried, Mai. It’s more common than people tend to believe. And none of it is your fault.”

“You don’t know that.” She took a breath. “My body rejected our child.”

“Our child was barely developed in the first place. It was a clump of cells that weren’t specialized yet.”

“How could you say that?”

“Mai, it’s the truth.” Trunks squeezed her hands. “The doctors said that if you didn’t know you were pregnant--”

“I know what the doctors said.” She interrupted him. “I was there, too, you know.”

“Then you know how common this is. Especially for new mothers.”

“I know. You don’t have to keep telling me this.” Mai gritted her teeth and tried to pull her hands away from him, but he didn’t let her.

“Please don’t do this.”

“Do what?”

“Fade away like this again.” Trunks took a breath. “I’ve felt like shit for weeks since this happened. You won’t eat. You hardly sleep. You don’t look at me anymore.” He was fumbling over his words. “You don’t talk to me anymore. It’s like I’m speaking to a fucking brick wall half the time. This is the first time I’ve felt heard, and you’re trying to get out of it.”

“How do you think I feel?” Mai raised a brow. “You've been spending longer hours at the office now. You send Marron or Bulma to babysit me for a few hours. You haven’t even made an effort to try to understand how I feel.”

“What do you mean? You don’t tell me how you feel.”

“I shouldn’t have to!” She snapped and stood up, yanking her hands away from him. “Why do I have to initiate it? Or why do I have to say anything to begin with? Why can’t you just see that I’m having a hard time and comfort me?”

“How am I supposed to comfort you when you don’t tell me what you need?” His voice remained calm as he stood up with her, shrugging with his hands. “I know I’m basically a demigod, but that doesn’t make me a mind reader.”

Mai let out a shaky breath, and he saw tears pool up in her eyes. “You’ve not held me since the miscarriage. You’ve not kissed me. Or told me that I was going to be okay. You act like nothing’s wrong when there’s nothing right.”

He fell silent as he watched his wife begin to cry in front of him, tears streaming down her face. “I hadn’t realized. I’m sorry.”

“I can’t tell you how I feel because I don’t know. I don’t know what I need or how to make it better. I thought you would know what to do and just do it.” She let out a sob. “But you’ve been avoiding me.”

“Hey…” He murmured and stepped forward, putting his hands on her shoulders as she wiped away her tears. “I’m not avoiding you. You know the expo’s soon, so I’ve been spending a lot of time at the office to prepare.” 

“Does Coco stay late with you?”

Trunks furrowed his brows. “Coco stays during her regular shift unless I ask her to stay late.” He tilted his head. “Do...Do you think there’s something going on between Coco and me?”

“It was a...passing thought. I’ve seen the way she looks at you.” She sniffled. “And you’re never here with me anymore. And I’ve definitely not been...satisfying you, so it crossed my mind...a few times.”

Trunks couldn’t help but laugh a little. “I’m not fucking my assistant. That’s an HR nightmare.” He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him. “And she’s not you. I don’t want to have sex with anyone who isn’t you.”

Mai took a deep breath and pressed her face against his chest as he rubbed circles into her back, pressing his chin to the top of her head. “I know...I’ve just been...out of it.”

“It’s okay. I’m sorry for not making you feel as loved as I should have been. I didn’t take the time to try to understand, and it’s my fault. You should never feel like you’re alone especially when it comes to something like this.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I’ll cancel all my late appointments next week. I’ll come home for my lunch breaks. I’ll do whatever you need me to do so you feel seen and loved.”

“...Thank you…”

He grinned. “It’s my pleasure.”


End file.
